WORLD> Africa
|
WORLD> Africa
|
|
Mugabe, Tsvangirai agree to share power in Zimbabwe
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-12 10:21 Zimbabweans in the capital Harare reacted cautiously to the deal. A hotel waiter could hardly believe the news. He said it was a "miracle" that ZANU-PF agreed to work with Tsvangirai. "It is ZANU-PF which always vowed that they would never work with Tsvangirai, and so it is Tsvangirai who has won," said the waiter who asked not to be named. Tsvangirai won an initial election in March but failed to secure an outright victory. South Africa quickly appealed the world to help Zimbabwe. "We call on the international community to give its unequivocal support to the people of Zimbabwe as they strike out along this new road," South Africa's Foreign Ministry said. Analysts did not expect investment to start flowing into Zimbabwe immediately. "In terms of investment, the very short term will not have much of an impact on Zimbabwe right now," said Alvise Marino, Emerging Markets Economist at Ideaglobal. "In terms of immediate market reaction we'll see it I think in South Africa on the rand most probably." Mugabe's critics blame him for Zimbabwe's economic collapse, saying policies such as seizing white-owned farms to give to landless blacks have been ruinous. He blames Western sanctions designed to push him from office. John Makumbe, a political analyst and Mugabe critic, said the deal can only succeed if Tsvangirai runs the country. "Tsvangirai needs meaningful executive powers and to have his hands on the critical state machinery such as the security structures in the country," he said. |
